The Power of Covenants

In his most recent talk in general conference, President Oaks spoke about the importance of covenants. He highlighted in particular the role of covenant in our temple worship: “In fulfillment of his responsibility to restore the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Prophet Joseph Smith spent much of his final years directing the construction of a temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. Through him the Lord revealed sacred teachings, doctrine, and covenants for his successors to administer in temples. There persons who were endowed were to be taught God’s plan of salvation and invited to make sacred covenants. Those who lived faithful to those covenants were promised eternal life, wherein ‘all things are theirs’ and they ‘shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.’’ He highlighted the importance of those covenants that the pioneers made in the Nauvoo Temple shortly before their journey west: “The endowment ceremonies in the Nauvoo Temple were administered just before our early pioneers were expelled to begin their historic trek to the mountains in the West. We have the testimonies of many pioneers that the power they received from being bound to Christ in their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple gave them the strength to make their epic journey and establish themselves in the West.” For example, Sarah Rich recorded, “If it had not been for the faith and knowledge that was bestowed upon us in that Temple, [the trip across the Great Plains] would have been like one taking a leap in the dark.” How did the Saints endure such incredible hardships of the trek west and have the faith to continue? It was because of their covenants.

President Ballard once commented, “Somehow we need to instill in our hearts the powerful testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ like unto that of our pioneer forefathers. Remember when Nauvoo fell in September of 1846 and the unbearable conditions of the Saints in the poor camps. When word reached Winter Quarters, Brigham Young immediately called the brethren together. After explaining the situation and reminding them of the covenant made in the Nauvoo Temple that no one who wanted to come, no matter how poor, would be left behind, he gave them this remarkable challenge: ‘Now is the time for labor,’ he said. ‘Let the fire of the covenant which you made in the House of the Lord, burn in your hearts, like flame unquenchable.’ Within a few days, in spite of near-destitute conditions at Winter Quarters, many wagons were rolling eastward to rescue the Saints in the poor camps along the Mississippi River.” President Ballard continued with these words, “We often hear of the suffering and the sacrifice those early Saints endured, and we ask ourselves, How did they do it? What was it that gave them such strength? Part of the answer lies in President Young’s powerful words. Those early Latter-day Saints had made covenants with God, and those covenants burned like unquenchable fire in their hearts.” For those early pioneers it was their covenants that was the driving force behind their willingness to sacrifice nearly everything for the Lord and His gospel. We need to also seek to live by our covenants instead of by convenience: “There is no spiritual power in living by convenience. The power comes as we keep our covenants.”    

In his talk President Oaks suggested that the Book of Mormon “is the Restoration’s major source for the fulness of the gospel, including God’s plan for His children, and the Book of Mormon is filled with references to covenants.” Perhaps one of the most well-known references to covenants is found in the vision of Nephi of our days: “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14). Another verse speaking of our day also connects power and covenants: “For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 21:4). The power of the Father comes because of His covenant with the house of Israel, and we receive that power as we make and keep covenants with Him. I love these words of Jacob inspired by the writings of Isaiah: “The Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children…. Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah” (2 Nephi 6:12-13). The Lord will fulfill His covenants and protect and give power to His covenant people. As His people we have “the sacred responsibilities and powers and unique blessings of being bound to Christ they receive by covenant.” Those covenants should, as it was for the pioneers, burn in our hearts like unquenchable fire and be the driving force of all that we do.